Bath circulation device



L. F. HOTZ BATH CIRCULATION DEVICE Filed June 7, 1963 fiderz o 7"" J90 iii/362 3. l I I Sept. 7, 1965 IAVIII g Q M United States Patent 3,204,254 BATH CIRCULATION DEVICE Leo F. Hotz, 1706 N. Catalina St., Burbank, Calif. Filed June 7, H63, Ser. No. 286,239 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-480) This invention relates to therapeutic apparatus and particularly to hydraulic means for effecting circulation of water employed for bath treatments. In this specification, the use of the word circulation is employed to designate the creation of constant unidirectional movement of the water in the bath receptacle rather than the more common connotation of fluid flow through conduit means.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a hydraulically powered means for inducing the circulation or movement of water in a hydro-therapeutic bath.

Another object of the invention is to employ the Water being introduced into a therapeutic bath both to maintain the desired bath temperature and as the means for maintaining constant unidirectional movement or circulation of the water within the bath receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bath water circulation means which is characterized by the complete absence of any moving parts or any electrical components.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the device for effecting circulation of water in a bath receptacle employed for therapeutic purposes which is characterized by simple, economical construction, adaptability to economical manufacture and effectiveness for its intended purpose.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described by way of example in the following specificationof the presently preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed in the accompanying drawings and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the device embodying the present invention,

FIGS. 2 and 3 are, respectively, front and rear views of the device shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse top plan sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale bottom plan view of the device,

FIG. 6 is a still further enlarged longitudinal medial section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2 constituting a side elevational view of one of the two mirror image halves comprising the body structure of the device, and

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged scale, transverse, sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 7-7, 8-8, and 9-9 of FIG. 1.

Briefly, the device comprises a jet pump apparatus adapted to be placed in a bathtub and to have the jet component directed into a Venturi tube component and effective thereby to create a circulatory movement of the bath water. Additionally, it is so arranged that the bath water thus circulated is first lifted and then discharged through the Venturi tube component and the ingress of such water into the device is somewhat restricted with resultant formation of a partial vacuum which is operative to anchor the device to the bottom of the tub.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a body structure including an open bottom, cylindrical, hollow base portion 1 defined by a side wall 2 and a top wall 3. Rising from the top wall 3 of said base is an integrally formed hollow member 4 divided into a pair of longitudinally extending passages including a passage 5 communicating with the interior of the hollow base and a passage 6 for the jet pump action of the device; said passage 6 at its lower end terminating in a horizontal discharge nozzle portion 7 disposed above the base of the top wall 3 and projecting laterally outwardly beyond the base side wall portion 2. At its upper end, the member 4 is provided with a top wall 8 having an upwardly extending, exteriorly threaded nipple 9 disposed in axial alignment with the vertical portion of the passage 6 and in which nipple a nozzle element 10 is disposed; said nozzle having a restricted discharge orifice 11 disposed within and spaced from the outwardly and upwardly flaring upper end 6' of the passage 6. The opposite end of the nozzle element 10 carries an annular flange 12 which rests on the outer end of the nipple 9 and is abutted by a gasket 13 interposed between it and the flange end 14 of a hose nipple 15 which is surrounded by a coupling nut 16 engageable with the threaded exterior of the nipple 9 whereby the device may be connected by a hose H to a source of water under pressure and whereby nozzles having other size of discharge orifices may be substituted for one another.

Immediately below the flared upper end 6' thereof, the passage 6 extends downwardly in a straight, reduced diameter portion 17 and thence gradually increases in diameter to a major diameter at a point just above the bend 18 therein leading to the discharge nozzle end 7. Also, the side wall 2 of the base is provided with water ingress holes 19, 19 of a size and for a purpose to be described and the top wall 8 is similarly provided with a very small air intake or inlet hole 20.

The device except for the nozzle, the gasket and the hose nipple can be advantageously formed from a pair of plastic moldings which are substantially mirror image duplicates and which are cemented or otherwise united to form the finished device, the only dilference being that the meeting faces of one of said moldings are each formed as a V-shap-ed ridge and the complementary meeting faces of the other of said moldings are formed as V-shaped grooves whereby the pairs of members are self-aligning when being cemented or otherwise united to form the finished devices.

In use, the device is placed in an upright position on the bottom of a tub of water to be employed for a bath treatment and the device is connected by the hose H to a source of water under pressure. Upon turning the water on through the hose and the jet nozzle, water will be drawn in through the holes 19, 19 and will be elevated through the passage 5 and be drawn down through the passage 6 and discharged from the nozzle 7 in addition to the high velocity jet from the nozzle 10. Due to the fact that the cross sectional area of the holes 19, 19 is considerably less than the smallest cross sectional area of the passage 5, the action of the jet will form a vacuum in the passage 5 resulting in the device being firmly seated on the bottom of the tub; said vacuum being partially overcome by theentry of air through the hole 20. If desired, the hole can be plugged shut to increase the degree of vacuum exerted. The nozzle 7 will, of course, be pointed in a direction generally parallel with the side of the tub so that the water in the bath is caused to circulate in the tub. The water from the supply can and usually will be heated sufficiently to maintain the heat of the water in the bath.

It will be noted that this simple device achieves the same beneficial results that various types of mechanical propulsion means heretofore used have eifected without danger that the patient might be harmed thereby and that moreover, by reason of the vacuum operation thereof, it will remain firmly seated on the bottom of the tub during use. It is further to be noted that the design affords Patented Sept. 7, 1965 most economical manufacture wherefore, it can be placed on the market at prices which are far below those asked for the mechanical devices heretofore employed for corresponding purpose. Accordingly, while in the foregoing specification there has been disclosed a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not to be inferred therefrom that the invention is limited to the precise details of construction thus disclosed by way of example, and it will be understood that the invention includes as well all such changes and modifications in the parts and the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a circulating means for a hydro-therapeutic bath, a hollow body structure including an open bottom hollow base defined by a side wall and a top wall and the bottom edge of said side Wall being adapted to support said body structure on the bottom of a bath receptacle with said hollow base submerged, means for admitting bath water into the interior of said hollow base, a jet pump means in said body structure, fluid passage means connecting the intake of said jet pump means with the interior of said hollow base, other fluid passage means connecting the discharge of said jet pump means with a horizontal discharge nozzle disposed adjacent to but out of communication with said hollow base, a high velocity jet nozzle mounted on said body structure with the discharge end thereof disposed at the intake of and forming a component of said jet pump means, and means disposed exteriorly of said body structure aflFording connection of said jet nozzle to a source of water under pressure sufficient to activate said jet pump means; said means for admitting bath water into the interior of said hollow base being of lesser cross sectional area than the cross sectional area of said first-named fluid passage whereby action of said jet pump produces a vacuum at the intake side of said jet pump means with resultant self-seating oi: the body structure on the bottom of the bath receptacle.

2. In a circulating means for a hydro-therapeutic bath, a hollow body structure including an open bottom hollow base defined by a side wall and a top wall and the bottom edge of said side wall being adapted to support said body structure on the bottom of a bath receptacle with said hollow base submerged, means for admitting bath water into the interior of said hollow base, a jet pump means in said body structure, fluid passage means connected to the intake of said jet pump means with the interior of said hollow base, other fluid passage means connecting the discharge of said jet pump means with a horizontal discharge nozzle disposed adjacent to but out of communication with said hollow base, a high velocity jet nozzle mounted on said body structure with the discharge end thereof disposed at the intake of and forming a component of said jet pump means, and means disposed exteriorly of said body structure attording connection of said jet nozzle to a source of water under pressure sufficient to activate said jet pump means; said body structure extending vertically from said base and said fluid passage means extending in parallel vertical relation therein.

3. In a circulating means for a hydro-therapeutic bath, a hollow body structure including an open bottom hollow base defined by a side wall means and a top wall means and the bottom edge of said side wall means being adapted to support said body structure on the bottom of a bath receptacle with said hollow base submerged, means for admitting bath water into the interior of said hollow base, a jet pump means in said body structure, a first fluid passage means connecting the intake of said jet pumpmeans with the interior of said hollow base, other fluid passage means connecting the discharge of said jet pump means with a horizontal discharge nozzle disposed adjacent to but out of com munication with said hollow base, a high velocity jet nozzle mounted on said body structure with the discharge end thereof disposed at the intake of and forming a component of said jet pump means, and means disposed exteriorly of said body structure affording connection of said jet nozzle to a source of Water under pressure suflicient to activate said jet pump means, said means for admitting bath water to said hollow base and said top wall means interacting with said first named fluid passage means during activation of said jet pump means effective to cause said body structure to be seated on the bath receptacle bottom surface by a diflerential fluid pressure condition deriving from said interaction with said jet pump, means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,335 6/09 Frame.

FOREIGN PATENTS 579,775 8/24 France.

488,472 12/53 Italy.

LEWIS I. LENNY, Primary Examiner. EDWARD V. BENHAM, Examiner 

1. IN A CIRCULATING MEANS FOR A HYDRO-THERAPEUTIC BATH, A HOLLOW BODY STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN OPEN BOTTOM HOLLOW BASE DEFINED BY A SIDE WALL AND A TOP WALL AND THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID SIDE WALL BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID BODY STRUCTURE ON THE BOTTOM OF A BATH RECEPTACLE WITH SAID HOLLOW BASE SUBMERGED, MEANS FOR ADMITTING BATH WATER INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW BASE, A JET PUMP MEANS IN SAID BODY STRUCTURE, FLUID PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING THE INTAKE OF SAID JET PUMP MEANS WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW BASE, OTHER FLUID PASSAGE MEANS CONNECTING THE DISCHARGE OF SAID JET PUMP MEANS WITH A HORIZONTAL DISCHARGE NOZZLE DISPOSED ADJACENT TO BUT OUT OF COMMUNICATION WITH SAID HOLLOW BASE, A HIGH VELOCITY JET NOZZLE MOUNTED ON SAID BODY STRUCTURE WITH THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF DISPOSED AT THE INTAKE OF AND FORMING A COMPONENT OF SAID JET PUMP MEANS, AND MEANS DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF SAID BODY STRUCTURE AFFORDING CONNECTION OF SAID JET NOZZLE TO A SOURCE OF WATER UNDER PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO ACTIVATE SAID JET PUMP MEANS; SAID MEANS FOR ADMITTING BATH WATER INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOLLOW BASE BEING OF LESSER CROSS SECTIONAL AREA THAN THE CROSS SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID FIRST-NAMED FLUID PASSAGE WHEREBY ACTION OF SAID JET PUMP PRODUCES A VACUUM AT THE INTAKE SIDE OF SAID JET PUMP MEANS WITH RESULTANT SELF-SEATING OF THE BODY STRUCTURE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BATH RECPETACLE. 